nny Walchuk
It’s time once again for the Melville Millionaires Coaches Show on GX94. Joined by Head Coach and GM Doug Johnson, as fall camp wrapped up this past weekend.
Doug, I know it’s always a busy time of year with fall camp. Just talk about the weekend and what stood out to you.
Doug Johnson
I think the biggest thing that stood out, and we’re very happy with it, was just the drive from our returning players. They set a pace, they’re setting the standard, and it looks like they’re really motivated to see how far we can go. That was exciting for us, and we’re really looking forward to getting going this weekend with exhibition play.
Benny Walchuk
The returning players are playing well, but what about some of those newcomers? Talk about your recruits and how they got their first taste of Millionaires hockey this weekend.
Doug Johnson
The two big ones we acquired this summer, Cole Brown and Hudson Closson, looked better than we anticipated, so that’s good. We anticipated big things from them, and I think we’ll see even more from them. But some of the young guys, like Parker Salisbury and Brodie Bowen, have really stood out. They brought a lot of energy. They’re two draft picks. Then on the back end, Kohen Volk is just getting better and better all the time. And that’s just a few of the many. You could spend 10 minutes talking about all the players, but we’re very excited with what we have and what’s returning. We’re really looking forward to the season, and we think it’s going to be an exciting year for the Millionaires and their fans.
Benny Walchuk
Before the regular season, of course, the preseason starts this weekend. What do you want to see from your group as those exhibition games roll on?
Doug Johnson
We want to see effort. We want to see the guys that want to be here and want to be drivers. Don’t take a backseat to anybody. Don’t hesitate, because we’d rather the players make big mistakes. Make mistakes, that’s what the game is about. It’s about making mistakes and learning from them. The only way to make mistakes is to do things, and when you do things, you’re active. We don’t want you to be a wallflower. That’s what we’re looking for. Obviously, we also want to see them get a little bit better every shift, get more accustomed to the systems and more accustomed to Millionaires hockey. We want to see that growth, and then hopefully they make us make some tough decisions. We’re going to be pretty excited.
Benny Walchuk
Before we go, I want to talk about your hockey operations staff. There’s some good continuity with Logan back and Anna returning after her absence. Just talk about them and how crucial they’ll be for you guys this season.
Doug Johnson
Yeah, it’s nice. I’m not going to have to train anybody or explain a million things every day to people. There’s a familiarity there. Logan knows how I work and vice versa. And then having Anna back, I know the guys are excited. She’s been with us for two years, took a year hiatus with school and everything, and when we got stuck and found out Kali wasn’t coming back, she jumped at the opportunity. She brings a maturity beyond her years and a passion for the Mils, too. So I’m excited to have everybody back. I don’t want to use the term distraction, but it just makes things easy. It allows you to be comfortable and push the boundaries. Both Anna and Logan, and Wally make myself a lot more comfortable in my chair, and I know that.
